


This Love is Ours

by hopelessly_me



Category: Marvel
Genre: Bucky cleans wounds, Hurt Clint, M/M, Protective Bucky, Secret Relationship, Soft Boys, awkward Clint, post mission press conference
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:08:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26211679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopelessly_me/pseuds/hopelessly_me
Summary: After seven months of secretly dating, all it took was a little bit of exhaustion and a rude reporter for their secret to be revealed.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton
Comments: 32
Kudos: 232
Collections: Kisses Bingo, Winterhawk Bingo Round Two





	This Love is Ours

**Author's Note:**

> Fits Winterhawk Bingo square B5 “accidentally reveal they are dating on live TV” and Kisses Bingo O1 “patching up a wound”. =)

The moment Bucky got the all clear he lowered his rifle and headed off towards where Clint was stationed. The battle had taken longer than expected, was harder than expected, and call Bucky a worrywart but he just wanted to find Clint and make sure he was okay. Bruce hadn’t come along on this call, so he knew that Clint wasn’t tending to the Hulk, nor would he be soothing a post-Hulk Bruce.

Walking carefully over rubble, Bucky made his way through the city, listening over the mission communication line. Everyone had at least reported in, no one was currently dying, which helped ease Bucky’s post-adrenaline nerves. Clint was relatively quiet, though he did hear him snicker when Steve taunted Tony about something. He was quiet, which meant he was tired, which meant Bucky was expecting to go home, shower with Clint, and cuddle on the couch, or the bed if he was lucky.

Bucky spotted Clint sitting on top of a pile of rubble. His head was lowered, his eyes focused on removing his gloves and bracers, and he wasn’t getting far. The closer Bucky got, the more he could make out Clint’s hands fumbling, shaking. He could see blood on Clint’s arm, but he was having trouble deciding if it was Clint’s or someone else’s. He was hoping the latter but with the way Clint was shaking he was almost positive that it was the former. Bucky flipped his communication line off.

“Hey, sunshine,” Bucky greeted. 

Clint looked up and gave him a half smile before he looked down. “Want to help me out?” he asked, his voice rough.

Bucky reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a miniature bottle of water. “Yeah, I’ll help if you drink some.” Clint took the water bottle after Bucky broke the seal and drank, holding his bracer out for Bucky. Bucky winced at the damage and wished he had thought to stop for a med pack. “Oh, honey.”

“It’s not so bad,” Clint murmured. “You got a spare pair of aids? These sound muffled.”

“Sorry, left them in the jet,” Bucky said, raising his voice to make it easier for Clint. “Want me to switch to signing?”

“No.”

Bucky tucked the bracer and Clint’s glove into a pocket before he kissed his forehead, his fingers on the quiver attachment. Clint’s hands flew up and Bucky grabbed them, pushing them down as gently as he could. Clint didn’t bother to struggle much.

“It’s okay, I’ve got you,” Bucky promised. “Did you hit your head?” He let go of Clint’s left hand and gently touched his head, cupping his chin. Clint shook his head before he shrugged. “Yeah, okay sweetheart,” Bucky said. He kissed Clint’s forehead before Clint tilted his head up to catch Bucky’s lips.

Clint took a shaky breath. “Just… tired,” Clint said. “Long fight. That, uh, that big centipede looking thing… reminded me of something and I froze. I can’t shake that numb feeling. I’m trying. But I’m okay- I’m just tired.”

Bucky gave him a sympathetic smile. “Alright.” Bucky stood up and helped Clint to his feet. “How did you get your arm all torn up?”

“Glass- jumped out a window with Steve,” Clint mumbled. “Didn’t pay attention and rolled. Think I might have knocked into that rubble pile over there.” He waved his hand over to something that looked jagged and Bucky winced. “I’m okay.”

“Says the guy who’s about to get a lot of stitches,” Bucky commented with a grin, trying to calm himself down. Clint had been through worse- the worst part for Clint was going to be the down time, and maybe digging out any glass Bucky could find. “Hey, why don’t you let me take care of your arm while you drink some water and eat something?”

“Dunno if I’ve ever said it, but you are the best boyfriend in the whole world,” Clint said softly, smiling a bit. He looked around as he said it. Bucky startled for a moment. “Calm down, my comm unit died about five minutes ago. No one can hear me.”

Bucky sighed. “We really should get to telling them.”

“Whenever you are ready, Bucko,” Clint said.

It was always up to Bucky, or at least a lot of things were, and Bucky couldn’t express how grateful he was for that. Clint was never in a hurry, never pushing Bucky to do anything unless it was important. It seemed so simple of an action, something that should be normal, but Bucky still wasn’t quite sure what normal meant, and he liked learning what his new normal was. The fact that Clint was right there with him, letting him find that? It was more than what felt he deserved.

Bucky was the one who approached Clint, he was the one who asked for them to keep it quiet. He saw what life was like when the masses found out an Avenger was dating, whether it be someone on the team or otherwise. He saw the way Tony and Pepper handled the pressure, the questions, and he saw how Steve and Natasha found a way to navigate that world as well. Bucky wasn’t ready for that- he wasn’t ready for whatever the media would come up with.

Dating Clint had been different than what he thought it would be. Clint had a reputation, and while he still lived up to some of those rumors, he was more than that. He was equally parts chaos and calm, all depending on the circumstance. Maybe he wasn’t known for being the best boyfriend or husband, but he tried- Clint tried hard and Bucky could see that. It wasn’t like Bucky wasn’t without faults, so maybe somehow it was easier to forgive Clint’s errors when Clint was so willing to forgive Bucky’s.

Any way you shook it, Bucky wasn’t ready to share Clint yet. He wasn’t ready to share the pictures of them hugging, or taking stupid photos with those filters turning them into dogs. He wasn’t ready for people to know that Clint liked to play with Bucky’s hair, or that Bucky preferred to fall asleep while tucked up against Clint. No one needed to know that they liked to go swimming in Tony’s “secret” pool, or that they liked to bake and cook new dishes when it was just the two of them; no one needed to know that Clint made amazing enchiladas while Bucky specialized in soups, chili being Clint’s favorite. 

He didn’t want people to find out Clint made basic arrows himself sometimes, cross legged and in front of the window so he could sunbath; Bucky would sit with his back against Clint’s, bending metal tips into shape before handing them off; Bucky found out it was the easiest way to keep Clint calm when the archer felt the world was falling apart under him. He wasn’t ready to admit that there were many times Clint ended up on the roof with just a pair of boxers on, maybe a hoodie if he was lucky, just so Bucky had a spot big enough where he thought he could breathe again after a nightmare or a rough memory.

Hiding it from everyone in the Tower had been a struggle for the last seven months. The only ones who knew for sure were Natasha and Steve. Clint couldn’t hide a thing from Natasha even if he tried, and Steve found out when he walked in on Clint and Bucky one night. Aside from that, Bucky suspected that Bruce and Sam knew, but neither of them brought it up. If Vision knew, he was keeping it a secret, even from Wanda and Pietro. And there was no way in this universe that Kate would have known without declaring her knowledge on the subject.

“How in the hell did you accomplish that?” Natasha asked when Bucky and Clint made it onto the Quinjet, Tony starting to computers up. Tony looked over, blinked as he took in Clint, then looked away. Everyone was used to Clint’s injury track record.

“Extreme skill and patience,” Clint answered, reaching into a bin to grab himself a protein bar and a water. “I am literally a disaster, what do you expect from me?” He sounded more alert for the moment as he joked around with Natasha for a moment.

“Do you need help with the stitches?” Natasha asked.

“Barnes offered already,” Clint answered, sitting down as Bucky grabbed the first aid kit. “Figured y’all drew straws to see who was going to come find my sorry ass.”

“Bucky likes a certain form of torture,” Sam said, walking by. Bucky looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. “He’s got this knack of finding pretty blond boys who can’t take care of themselves and saying ‘yep, that’s what I want’.”

Bucky’s stomach sank, but Clint’s laugh was loud, bright, so full of happiness that Bucky looked over at the two. Sam sat on one side of Clint and nudged him. “Figured sniper bros would be at it again, going to check on each other. Keep it up and Romanoff is going to get jealous.”

“I think it’s cute you think I’d get jealous,” Natasha commented, sitting down across from them. “I also find it cute that you think Barnes will ever be able to replace me.” Clint and Sam both snorted. 

Bucky grabbed a wheeled chair and pulled it up, setting the first aid kit down on the bench next to Clint. He was aware of the banter going on around him, but he focused on the task at hand. He cleaned Clint’s arm, his nose wrinkling at the extent of the injury before he got to work with the stitches and removing glass. There were a few spots where Clint’s arm would try to withdraw, just for a moment, before he let it relax again. Bucky would murmur an apology at those times.

Clint reached his free hand out and touched Bucky’s knee, a finger occasionally rubbing gently. Bucky wasn’t sure who’s benefit it was for, but he had seen Clint do that with Natasha before, so he was going with Clint’s; either way, he didn’t mind it. He stopped a few times to make sure Clint was okay, only to get a small, tired smile in response. He knew Clint would tough just about anything out if it meant avoiding having to take pain medication, which Bucky wanted to be upset about but he understood it.

He went to the smaller, less serious cuts next, cleaning them and applying small bandages. Clint watched him the entire time, his eyes tracking Bucky’s hands as they worked. Bucky wanted to lean forward, kiss his forehead, but decided against it. Mid flight was not the time to tell everyone they were dating. That and Bucky wasn’t sure he had the energy to deal with all the questions, and he knew for a fact Clint had none.

“So bad news,” Tony called out just as Bucky fished putting a light layer of gauze around Clint’s arm. “Apparently we have some press waiting for us when we get back.”

The whole team was moaning and groaning. “Can I get out of it?” Clint asked. “I might even go to the doctor for an hour just to get out of it.”

“No can do, bird boy,” Tony replied. “Unless you are actually dying you are going.”

“I can totally arrange for that to happen. Let me pop some stitches and-” Clint began to reply, and Bucky snorted when Natasha smacked the back of his head. “Ow. Okay. We’re all in this together. Fine, fine. I will remember this though. There will be pay back.”

Bucky shook his head and cleaned up the mess before he cleaned his hands. “Let me guess- people don’t like that we stopped a Turkish city from being overrun by aliens who wanted to take over the world?” he asked in a snarky tone.

“Very good, Robocop,” Tony snarked right back.

“Let’s all take a breather- we have been through worse,” Steve said, always the diplomat. “We will put a limit on how long we talk, and it’s a hard limit. We stand together, we leave together. Twenty minutes and we’re out.”

It wasn’t like anyone could really argue. If they didn’t show face, the media was only going to get worse, speculations flying rampant. It was better to nip it in bud, deal with it head on and take control of the situation no matter how exhausted everyone was. Looking around the jet, everyone was exactly that- exhausted.

A crack of lightning flashed and a loud rumble was heard and Bucky closed his eyes for a moment. There were a few members on the team that hated storms to various degrees. Steve didn’t mind them usually, although sometimes they seemed to give him flashbacks. Sam was about on the same wavelength of Steve. Bucky didn’t care for them at all, preferring not to be aware of their presence. Clint only seemed to dislike them when he was already stuck in a bad place, which was why at the first crack of lightning his body was stiff and remained that way.

“Just going to come out and say it,” Clint mumbled. “Today fuckin’ sucks.”

The rest of the ride was held in relative quiet. Natasha moved to sit with Steve, leaned against him with her eyes closed, Steve whispering to her. Sam had joined Tony and Rhodey who were at the front of the plane. Wanda was sitting with her brother, talking quietly amongst themselves. Bucky hadn’t moved from his chair, though he would occasionally sway it from one side to the other. Clint hadn’t moved either, his eyes fixed on the floor and his hearing aids out.

Bucky moved forward and caught Clint’s attention before he smiled. He looked around to make sure everyone was minding their own business before he raised his hands up.  _ Tonight. You and Me. Your floor. An hour after the news. Shower. Eat pizza. Sleep. _ He hoped that they could sleep in bed, but he wasn’t sure if they started on the couch if Clint would get up and make it there, so he left the bed requirement out.

Clint smiled a little.  _ Sounds good. Movie? _ Bucky nodded and grinned. Clint grinned back, his face lighting up a little more.  _ Bed? We eat pizza there? _ Bucky nodded and Clint did a little fist pump before he leaned back. Bucky loved when they lazily signed, not bothering to talk too terribly much.  _ You okay? _

Bucky hadn’t even noticed that Clint hadn’t asked before now. He shrugged and nodded.  _ Not hurt. Not tired. Just normal _ . 

Clint rolled his eyes and signed normal before he bit his lip. He sprawled his legs out, knocked his feet into Bucky’s. He had a small, soft smile on his face before the lightning started to pick up again. Clint groaned and lolled his head back dramatically before he sat back up.  _ Just a storm _ he signed.  _ Just normal _ . Bucky flipped him off and Clint snickered before he closed his eyes.

Five minutes before they landed Clint put his hearing aids back in and switched spots with Tony. Steve was rambling on about talking points, Tony interjecting what he thought they needed to discuss. Bucky was thankful that, at least for the most part, the media would focus on those two and leave the rest of them alone. Sometimes Natasha would speak up, but it was rare that anyone else had to. Sam was talking more frequently as well, which really- it suited him. Bucky hated to admit it, but Sam was like Steve- he was made for this kind of thing.

Bucky was careful not to walk off the jet with Clint, leaving him to walk with Natasha, Wanda, and Pietro. Clint already had his mask back into place it seemed, a wicked grin on his face as he walked backwards, trusting Natasha not to let him run into anything. Bucky had to force himself to look away, focus on literally anything else. Maybe tomorrow he would at least relent and tell Clint that they were going to tell the team. And then maybe someday the press could find out and Bucky wouldn’t care because everything would be so comfortable that it wouldn’t matter what anyone else thought. He knew Clint wouldn’t care as long as Bucky was comfortable with the idea. He snuck one more glance over at Clint, watched as he faked being offended before he pulled Pietro into a hug. Pietro grumbled at first before Bucky spotted the smirk break out, Pietro tighten his hold on Clint, if only for a second.

The press conference was just as boring as Bucky expected. Steve and Tony fielded most of the questions, with little sprinkles of Natasha and Sam to give it some extra flair. There were a lot of questions that needed to be answered, or so people thought, like how the aliens got here so quietly that it wasn’t until recently that they had been detected. It was moments like this Bucky wished Carol wasn’t off world as much as she was so  _ she _ could cover the whole alien prospect of things. Hell, even that crazy raccoon would be good… maybe. Bucky still wasn’t convinced Rocket couldn’t contract rabies or something.

Tony and Steve always sat in the middle. Rhodey, Sam, Thor and Bruce always sat on Tony’s side. Bucky, Natasha, Clint, Wanda, and Pietro sat to Steve’s side. Bucky used to sit right next to Steve- it looked better at first, kept the media from freaking out too much. But as time wore on, people were less interested in if he was still brainwashed and more interested in seeing Steve and Natasha together. It had been startling at first until Bucky became closer to Clint. Now it was hard not to automatically reach over to put a hand on Clint’s thigh or knee when they sat close.

The conference was coming to the end, which was nearly forty minutes later when Bucky heard a voice he wasn’t familiar with. “This question is for Mr. Barton,” a man said. He sounded angry, his face was like stone, the hairs on Bucky’s nape stood up as he tried to keep himself from reacting. “What is your connection to Trickshot?”

“I am sorry, but all information dealing with Trickshot is classified at the moment,” Clint answered calmly.

“Because you are Trickshot, correct?” the man pressed. “On October 27th, you were seen in Barcelona. That night, Trickshot made his first appearance working alongside Bullseye. You were seen again nearly three months later when-”

Bucky didn’t have to look at Clint to know he was likely becoming upset, even if he wasn’t showing it. Everyone on the team was well aware of the new assassin that somehow ended up alongside Bullseye. The man was an archer with a similar build as Clint, similar in height, and if you didn’t know any better, they moved the same. But what could one expect when both Barton brothers had the access to the same mentor when they were younger?

Clint never talked about Barney much before, and he certainly was keeping himself quiet now. With every new lead on Trickshot, Clint looked a little more deflated. When Bucky asked, Natasha only said that Clint and Barney had a troubled history and this wasn’t the first time. Clint only said he was coming up with a plan to bring his brother in unharmed. Bucky’s plan was to snatch the guy, haul him off to a cell to shout at him for a few hours before admitting he found the other Barton brother.

“-and he was never controlled by Loki but rather worked alongside him and-”

“You don’t know shit about what happened to my boyfriend back in New York so shut the fuck up,” Bucky snapped. There was a high pitched squeak to his right, drawing Bucky’s attention. “What?” Bucky asked. Clint’s face was turning redder by the moment, his jaw slack and Bucky could see him struggling for words.

“Your  _ boyfriend _ ?” Tony asked.

“Wait, what?” Pietro asked as Wanda gasped, her eyes all big and lit up, a huge smile forming on her lips.

_ Oh shit. Fuck my life _ . Bucky leaned back in his seat then looked from Tony to Steve, catching glimpses of Natasha, Bruce, and Sam. Soon, the man’s accusations against Clint were a dull murmur, replaced with a roar of “Mr Barton”, or “Mr Barnes”, or “How long have you two-”. Bucky felt himself withdrawing at the level of noise directed at him, trying to find that happy space where he wouldn’t start shaking.

Fingers touched his knee lightly and he looked over at Clint as he laughed a nervous, awkward laugh. His laugh died down to a weak smile and a helpless  _ what can you do _ sort of shrug. Clint pulled his hand from under the table and touched two fingertips against Bucky’s hand.  _ Want to go _ Clint mouthed to Bucky, who nodded, standing and carefully taking Clint’s hand in his own. Clint was on the move with Bucky, heading off to inside.

“Clint, you have to know-”

“Don’t. Please.”

“-that what he said is-”

“Buck, babe, I’m okay.”

“-not true and that-”

“Bucky, stop.” Clint held his face between his hands and smiled, shaky at first before they both calmed down. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”

“He was a dick,” Bucky said sternly.

“He was,” Clint agreed. “Look, we need to book it if we want to ignore the hurricane that is about to be Tony. FRIDAY, can you put my floor on a privacy lockdown? Only Steve and Natasha allowed,” Clint said, letting go of Bucky and headed for the elevator.

“ _ Of course, Agent Barton. _ ”

“Also, please order our favorite pizza from our favorite place and send it up with one of the bots,” Clint added, pulling Bucky into the elevator with him. “Bucky, hun, it’s okay.”

“Can I be honest?” Bucky asked. “I thought it would be you.”

“What would be me?”

“I thought you would be the one to rat us out,” Bucky commented. “But no… it was me. I was the one who said it.”

“If it makes you feel better, you defending my honor made me feel like a princess,” Clint teased. Bucky groaned and leaned forward, his head on Clint’s shoulder. Clint put a hand on the back of Bucky’s head and chuckled. “Honestly, it was the nicest, sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me probably. Natasha usually skips the words and goes straight for the knife.”

“I did briefly think about it. But I’m learning self-control in therapy,” Bucky said.

“Oh, well, you are definitely failing that,” Clint said with a laugh.

“ _ Agent Barton, the better Hawkeye is calling. _ ”

“We really need to get Tony to change that,” Bucky commented.

“Eh, it’s not wrong,” Clint answered. “Patch her through,” he said. “Hey Katie-kate. How’s California?”

“ _ You are dating Bucky _ ,” Kate exclaimed.

“Hey Kate,” Bucky grumbled.

“ _ When did this start? How? Why? _ ”

“I dunno- he is cute?” Clint answered before he got that stupid look on his face. It was the look Bucky hated because normally it meant he was about to pull one over on Steve or Tony, get them so pissed that they were about to blow a fuse. “I mean, he’s got that hair that I am pretty sure the gods’ blessed. And have you seen his ass?”

“No,” Bucky said firmly.

“ _ Ew, Clint. No _ ,” Kate groaned. Bucky would have taken offense to being called ew in any fashion, but he could understand where that was coming from- he was thinking the same thing.

“I mean, I have barely scratched the surface here with the why,” Clint said in a singsong voice. “So when he is in bed-”

“ _ Hanging up now. _ ”

Clint doubled over laughing when the line went dead. He looked up and Bucky glared down, which only made him laugh longer. “... seriously, Barton?”

“I was going to say you are an excellent cuddler,” Clint answered with a grin.

“Oh,  _ that _ is the why?” Bucky asked.

“Nah, there are a lot of whys, that one just happens to be in the top three,” Clint answered. He walked off the elevator and immediately started stripping off his clothes. “Friday, tell Tony if he even tries to come in he will get an eyeful of my naked ass.”

_ “Noted, Agent Barton _ .”

Bucky followed Clint. “You have a top three?”

“Hm? Oh yeah,” Clint said, tugging at his belt until he got it loose. “What? You want a list?” Bucky shrugged. “Okay, okay. So… top three. One- you are an excellent cuddler. All warm and soft and cozy. Two- you help me make arrowheads.”

“Should that count?” Bucky asked. “How naked are you getting here?”

“Well, I mean, the goal is a shower, so pretty naked,” Clint admitted. “And three. Uh-” Clint looked down for a moment, uncomfortable, before he looked back up. “You make me feel better about myself. You do this look. You look at me like I’m worth the trouble. And you get the whole Loki thing and-”

That edge was back, that slight shake of Clint’s hands that he had been trying to hide. Bucky stepped up and cupped his face before he kissed him. Bucky dropped his hands from Clint’s face in favor of his hands, linking their fingers before he pulled them up.

“Let me make sure we are clear on one thing,” Bucky said, kissing Clint’s knuckles, the palm of his hand, one to his bandaged wrist. Clint watched him in awe before he tried to tuck it away into a shy smile. “You are  _ barely _ worth the hassle.”

Clint blinked before his jaw dropped. “Did you- did you just-” Bucky grinned and walked by him, heading to the bathroom, stripping off his clothes. “Hey, you asshole! Come back here and tell me you love me!”

“No thanks.”

“Bucky!” Bucky smiled more when he heard Clint swear, following him. “Hey! Excuse you! I am more than worth the hassle.”

“That’s the spirit!” Bucky cheered, trying to sink as much snark into it as possible. He turned and walked backwards, Clint’s grin just as big as his own. “Whatever makes you feel good, sunshine.” Bucky reached out and touched his arm lightly. “How does it feel?”

“Hurts but eh. Had worse,” Clint answered. “I think I am going to take something to help me sleep tonight, if you’re okay with that.”

Bucky smiled and kissed his jaw. “Doll, I’m never going to stop you from positive self-care.”

“Ew, don’t word it that way. You sound like that therapist I rarely go to,” Clint whined. “Are you alright though? I know you wanted to hang onto no one knowing for a little while. I think you kinda shot some holes in that bucket.”

Bucky knew he should be honest. While he thought he would be okay, currently he was thankful to be away from the noise. He was nervous that anytime they left the Tower that someone would stop them, or worse- multiple people would stop them. His head was already swimming with potential headlines. Two brainwashed assassins turned Avengers. The thoughts made his stomach turn into a series of knots and threatened to make him ill.

Then- he had Clint. He had the guy whose face turned bright red when Bucky called it as it was. He was dating the man who handled him with just the right amount of care where it didn’t feel like he was being smothered, maintaining a large degree of privacy when he needed it. Clint was someone who could spin a situation if he needed to, was making efforts to constantly look for the brighter side of things. If there was anyone Bucky thought could remotely handle this with him, Clint was that person.

“How should we… how should we do this?” Bucky asked nervously.

“Well…” Clint reached into Bucky’s back pocket where Bucky always kept his phone and took it out.

“... when did you figure out my password?”

“Two weeks ago,” Clint answered, “but this is the first time I’m using it.” Clint played on the phone for a few minutes before he held it out. “If you are happy with this, just hit the post button.” Clint kissed Bucky’s forehead. “If you hate it, we’ll figure something else out.” Bucky closed the screen and tucked the phone away. “What are you doing?”

“Saving it for later,” Bucky answered. “I was promised a shower, pizza, and cuddles in bed. This can wait until after I’ve checked your arm over and you have fallen asleep. I’m the one who ratted us out, I should be the one who handles it.”

“You don’t have to handle it alone. That’s what I’m here for,” Clint said before he smiled. “But… a shower sounds amazing. I feel like I smell like sewer.”

“You smell like dust and dirt, maybe a bit of iron,” Bucky answered. “And… maybe a little bit of body sweat.”

“That was so lovingly put,” Clint laughed. “Come on. Shower with me.” Clint pushed Bucky back towards the bathroom.

There was no argument from Bucky. He took his time checking over Clint’s stitches, making sure everything was well taken care of before and after their shower. Clint sat on the bathroom counter, making small talk with Bucky as he went to work, his feet gently grazing against Bucky’s legs.

They ate their pizza in bed, putting on  _ 90 day fiance _ . Bucky hated the show at first, but the more they watched it, the more he watched Clint get into it, the more Bucky learned to love it. Now he was right there with Clint, shouting at the television occasionally and laughing. Clint bumped into him as he leaned over, placing a kiss to his cheek.

By the time the sun fell, Clint was tucked up against Bucky, eyes closed and he was snoring lightly. He knew he should move Clint now, gently roll him over while he wasn’t in that deep of a sleep so he could easily fall back asleep. Bucky’s thumb gently rubbed against the gauze on Clint’s arm as he watched a show about the National Parks. He knew he should go to bed, but with Clint asleep his brain wouldn’t slow down. Without any distractions, Bucky’s mind went back to the press conference. 

Bucky carefully shifted until he could grab his phone out. He opened it up to what Clint left for him to see and smiled, knocking his head off to the side so it was against Clint’s. It was a photo from three weeks ago, the two of them covered in mud after chasing around mutant livestock in the pouring down rain. Clint’s arms were around Bucky, his eyes huge and lit up, his mouth open and his tongue sticking out. Bucky had his head tilted back, laughing because behind the scenes Natasha was caked in mud and  _ not _ amused about it. 

There was no text, no explanation to go along with the photo. Bucky’s heart felt full as he softly nuzzled into Clint’s hair for a moment. He knew what Clint was getting at. They didn’t owe anyone an explanation of their relationship, they didn’t need to say how long they had been together at this point, or anything. But this photo would confirm what people were thinking, and that was good enough. And if it was good enough for Clint, it was more than good enough for Bucky.

Before he could hit the button, Steve was calling his phone. Bucky hurried to answer it and held it up to his ear. “Hey punk,” he greeted.

“ _ Hey, how are you and Clint holding up? _ ” Steve asked.

Bucky smiled and looked at Clint. “He’s asleep. He took some meds and he’s out like a light. We’re fine.”

“ _ That's good to hear. Do either of you need anything? Pepper said she could help with whatever press release you want to do _ .”

“Clint already had it figured out a few hours ago. Just about to post it to my social media account. Clint will likely do the same tomorrow. I would get up and do it for him but… don't want to. Comfortable.”

“ _ Alright. Well, we will see you both in the morning. Be prepared- Tony is offended. _ ”

Bucky snorted and closed his eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure he is. G’night punk.”

Bucky hung up the phone and looked at the television for a moment before he looked back down at his screen. He posted the photo and turned his phone off before he nudged at Clint. Clint barely opened his eyes before Bucky was rolling him to his side, leaving the television on.

“Mhhh- spoon,” Clint said.

Bucky didn’t bother to reply, Clint wouldn’t have heard a word of it. Instead, he pressed a kiss to the back of Clint’s neck before he tucked his head against the middle of Clint’s upper back. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, the tension melting off of him as he toed off his socks.

No matter what tomorrow brought, or the day after, week after, month- Bucky had this little piece of heaven to himself, and he could share as much, or as little, of it as he wanted. 


End file.
